Hunting Shadows
by Courier999
Summary: Part 2 of the "Invisible Man" story arc. While Quigley tracks an arms dealer, a possibly pregnant Violet learns that Lemony Snicket and Sunny are being held hostage. Rated T for violence and scary content. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS: Hunting Shadows

_A Series of Unfortunate Events_ is property of HarperCollins

"Lemony Snicket, you just don't understand. We can end this schism once and for all."

"At what cost?"

"We can end all of this, Snicket!"

"The ends does not justify the means. The deaths would be unacceptable."

MAY 9:

"Hey, Violet!" Moira Tucker announced into the webcam.

"Hello, Moira." Violet Baudelaire responded.

"How's it going?" Moira asked.

"I think I might be pregnant, Moira." Violet answered.

"How sweet!" Moira exclaimed.

"Can't believe I'm going to be a mother." Violet mumbled.

"How's Quigley?" Moira asked.

"VFD business. Something about a guy called the 'Invisible Man'. Apparently, he's trying to end the schism." Violet answered.

"How?" Moira innocently asked.

"I don't know. Lemony Snicket told us that it apparently involves a pretty big body count." Violet answered.

"Oh." Moira said.

Just then, the webcam connection shorted out.

MAY 10:

Quigley Quagmire was hot on the trail of the "Invisible Man". Apparently, an international arms dealer named Clint "Spider" Fox had been selling large numbers of guns and ammunitions to a mysterious stranger. Fox's current place of business was the Lucky 36 Hotel.

In the Presidential Suite of the Lucky 36, several crates filled the rooms. A wealthy customer was arriving shortly. Clint Fox was wanting to make a good impression.

"Colt 1602 assault rifle, customized. Fires 5.56 mm rounds. Equipped with infrared scope and silencer. Clip holds 50 rounds." Clint Fox told the buyer.

"I'll take 12. Also, I want a few SMGS, 10 mm. Shotguns, pistols, hand grenades. And while you're at it, I want some heavy and experimental weapons." The buyer announced.

"Do I look like an R&D lab?" Fox asked.

"You do have some bigger guns?" The buyer asked.

"Vulcan minigun. RPG launcher. Zeus T2 rocket launcher. 40 mm grenade launcher. And one experimental laser rifle." Fox answered.

"Deal." The buyer replied.

"Do you have $300,000?" Fox asked.

"Here's the money." The buyer answered.


	2. Chapter 2

MAY 11.

"He's coming around, Doc." A distinctly female voice announced.

"I'm not a doctor- I'm a medic!" A male voice with a British accent replied.

Quigley Quagmire woke up from his coma. He had been out for a whole day. His chest displayed a mark not unlike a severe sunburn.

"Feels like I spent a little too much time in the sun." Quigley commented.

"Mr. Quagmire, the severe 1st degree burn on your thorax was caused by a direct hit from a laser weapon- experimental." The man replied.

"Who are you?" Quigley asked.

"Maxwell Kynes, V.F.D medic." The man answered.

"Friend or foe?" Quigley asked.

"I'm on your side." Kynes answered.

"Where am I?" Quigley asked.

"Mr. Quagmire, you were knocked out at the Lucky 36. Then, a man in a pinstripe suit brought you out into the desert, and then he shot you with a laser rifle. Oh, and I brought you to this shack in the middle of nowhere." The woman answered.

"Ain't that a kick in the head?" Quigley deadpanned.

"An interesting colloquialism, if lacking in proper grammar." Kynes mumbled.

Elsewhere, the "Invisible Man" was working on his latest plan. On his desk was a file- the Baudelaire File.

MAY 12.

"Moira, I'm worried." Violet announced over the webcam.

"False start?" Moira innocently asked.

"Moira, I really am pregnant. 2 months. And Quigley's gone off the radar altogether." Violet replied.

"Just out of curiosity, was this planned?" Moira innocently asked again.

"Yes, Moira. But…I'm worried about Quigley. It's not like him to just completely disappear." Violet answered anxiously.

MAY 13.

_Never trust Moira to keep a secret._ Violet thought. From the numerous gifts and cards that everyone had been sending her, Moira had spread word of Violet's pregnancy. But Quigley was nowhere to be found. Just then, she found a telegram in the small pile of cards.

TO VIOLET BAUDELAIRE-QUAGMIRE *STOP*:

YOUR HUSBAND, QUIGLEY N. QUAGMIRE HAS BEEN FOUND. *STOP*

HE IS AT THESE COORDINATES *STOP*

SIGNED: M. KYNES *STOP*

POSTSCRIPT: I MAY HAVE…ADDED A FEW THINGS *STOP*

MAY 20.

Quigley and Violet were reunited in the small town of Andale, New Mexico. Over dinner, the couple shared the revelations that they had made over the past few days.

"Violet, this 'Invisible Man' has got to be stopped." Quigley announced.

"I think they call him that for a reason." Violet replied.

"I agree. Finding him will be like hunting shadows." Quigley interjected.

MAY 21.

"L. Snicket?" A guard asked.

"Fiona Widdershins- just as I suspected. You double-crossed me before." Lemony Snicket mumbled.

"Lemony, this time it was for the money. $10 million a month- you'd have taken the same offer." Fiona Widdershins replied.

After throwing jabs at each other, Fiona took Lemony Snicket to the "interrogation room".

His eyelids were forced open, and the session began.

Later, the "Invisible Man" was griping about the session.

"Widdershins, you tortured the wrong man." The shady employer announced.

"Test results didn't come in until today. How was I supposed to know?" Fiona replied.

"You could have fingerprinted him." The "Invisible Man" retorted.

"I was in V.F.D. Operatives usually get their fingerprint records destroyed so that they can't be identified like that." Fiona answered.

"Anyways, Snicket sent a decoy to us." The "Invisible Man" stated.

"Who?" Fiona asked.

"Operative Charles Watson, aka 'Chameleon'." The "Invisible Man" answered.

"Who's next?" Fiona asked.

"The real Lemony Snicket- and that brat Sunny Baudelaire." The "Invisible Man" answered.

MAY 22.

Isadora Quagmire had arrived home from a writer's workshop to see Klaus Baudelaire sprawled out on the floor in a small pool of his own blood. In the past few minutes, she had found that Sunny had been kidnapped as well, and that the culprit had shot Klaus before fleeing. Currently, she was with her brother Duncan in the ER waiting room. Moira was next to them, tears welling up in her eyes. Just then, a doctor resembling Lance Henriksen entered the room.

"Isadora Quagmire?" The doctor asked.

"Is he-" Isadora asked.

"Klaus is going to make it. We were lucky that the bullet hit his spleen." The doctor answered.


	3. Chapter 3

MAY 29.

"Isadora…tell me that Sunny's safe." Violet pleaded over the webcam.

"I think she's been kidnapped by whoever shot Klaus." Isadora replied.

"Klaus? Shot? Is he alive?" Violet asked.

"Yes. Bullet got him in the spleen. But he's in agony." Isadora answered.

"Get…Doctor Harlan White…he's on our side." Violet ordered.

"Yes, Vi." Isadora replied.

MAY 30.

Doctor Harlan White had been willing to sign up right off the bat. Besides, he had a good idea of who the "Invisible Man" was…

JUNE 1.

The "Invisible Man" looked at the six files on his desk. He had succeeded in assembling a deadly team from Fiona Widdershins, a cowboy, a former special forces soldier, Clint "Spider" Fox, an electrician, and a former army medic. The team was within 20 feet of his desk

"Why are we doing this?" The cowboy asked.

"Shut up, Tex." Fiona Widdershins snapped.

"The name's David Montana, little lady." The cowboy replied.

"I don't care if your name's Otto Octavius, bud." Clint Fox retorted.

"Well, excuse me!" The electrician chirped, drawing out her words like Steve Martin.

"Fraulein, you are the one who needs to close her mouth." The soldier said to the electrician.

"If the boss breaks your nose, I can fix it up." The medic mumbled to the soldier.

"Listen, Herr Shepard. I'm the one who makes the rules here. Either you shut your trap or I ram some deadly spores down it." Fiona snapped at the soldier.

"Can it, all of you!" The "Invisible Man" ordered.

All six members complied.

"Do you know what I see before my eyes? I'll tell you what I see. I see some of the deadliest men and women I know of in one team. I won't let such deadly talent of your caliber go to waste!" The "Invisible Man" announced.

"Ja." The soldier responded.

"Malcolm Shepard, better known as _die_ _Engel des Todes_. That nickname was enough for me to hire you. Herr Shepard, do not let me down." The "Invisible Man" ordered.

"Ja, chef." Malcolm Shepard responded.

Some time later, the six-man team got together for their first real mission.

"Kid, what's your name?" David Montana asked the electrician.

"Harleen Montgomery." The electrician asked.

Soon, each member of the team knew everyone's name and background-

Clint Fox: An arms dealer

Fiona Widdershins: A former V.F.D agent who joined up with the "Invisible Man" for the cash

David Montana: A cowboy from Wyoming with a Bachelor's Degree from Columbia

Harleen Montgomery: An electrician who was somewhat insane

Malcolm Shepard: A man from a poor German family from the Bronx who joined the Army as soon as he got out of high school

Michael Watson: A former Army medic who also needed the money from the "Invisible Man"

"Let's rock and roll." Malcolm Shepard stated.


	4. Chapter 4

JUNE 9.

Fiona Widdershins hated her new coworkers. Harleen was too out of it, Dave Montana despised the sort of work the team was going to do, Clint acted too much like a used car salesman, Watson was useless, and Malcolm was too much of a liability. Plus, he was the boss's favorite. Time to do something about him…

The alarm clock blared. A dainty little hand extended to silence it, and Moira Tucker drifted back to sleep. Just then, Isadora shoved her out of bed."Moira, I think you should-" Isadora stuttered, pointing at the rather scantily clad Moira."Sorry- I lost my nighties." Moira sheepishly replied.30 minutes later, Moira was in a baby blue nightgown- Violet's old nightgown. It helped that Moira at 20 had roughly the same figure as Violet at 16.

In the staff lounge at the Invisible Man's HQ at Gray Mesa, Fiona Widdershins had a picture of Malcolm Shepard's face- which she was using as a dartboard. Nearby was Fiona's personal secretary, a beautiful young woman named Kelly Kerrigan. Fiona had to admit that the Invisible Man had been the only man willing to shell out the money and facilities for her research- which was the main reason she signed up with him.

JUNE 10.

Duncan Quagmire dragged himself through the front door. He had been reporting about an attack on a nearby military armory for 3 days. All he wanted now was some sleep. However, the attack was only the tip of the iceberg…

JUNE 11.

Gray Mesa, New Mexico- the ideal place to hide something. In this case, the massive crater on the mesa's top- formed due to a munitions explosion during the Cold War- held several top-secret facilities. It was owned by the Invisible Man- and it was here where his "Army of Six" prepared for their next mission. Dave Montana and Clint Fox looked at the new military-grade firepower they had knocked off from the armory. Fox was particularly excited- surplus weapons had been his MO for years. Now, he had his hands on modern firepower. And the new flamethrowers would be quite interesting to operate…


	5. Chapter 5

JUNE 12.

Moira Tucker had a deer-in-the-headlights look. She had just been evicted by her landlord, and she needed somewhere to stay. Her first choice- the new Baudelaire mansion. It was a dark and stormy night. After a few hours of pleading with Isadora Quagmire, Moira was given the guest room as her own.

JUNE 13.

Duncan Quagmire had opened the back door into the Invisible Man's computer networks. What he discovered shocked him:_"MEDUSA. My magnum opus. Soon, the schism will end- and I'll have seen just how deadly the fungus is."_ The file shivered. That had been the voice of the "Invisible Man". And now the stakes had been raised.

Quigley Quagmire grabbed an assault carbine. He knew the stakes. In his PDA was a troubling message:

TO:  
>FROM: BRADLEY<br>RE: PLATFORM TEST

BOSS, WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN THE TEST OF THE EUCLID WEAPONS PLATFORM. SOMETHING'S GOING TO BE BURNED.

"I'll be armed for bear." Quigley muttered under his breath.

He knew what he was fighting for- Violet, Klaus, Sunny, baby Beatrice, Duncan and Isadora, VFD, Moira Tucker…and his unborn child. In his hand was a famous quotation:_"I__t will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear."_- Amos 5:19

At Gray Mesa, the Invisible Man looked at his Plan B- a tactical nuclear warhead capable of decimating a small city. Just in case MEDUSA failed, he'd have a backup plan.


	6. Chapter 6

JUNE Snicket looked glumly at Michael Watson's prescription for anemia- saltine crackers with guava jam. _At least Sunny gets three decent meals a day._ He thought. In between interrogation sessions, the captors did manage to feed Lemony and Sunny. JUNE 28. "Fiona, we've held those two for weeks, and we've obtained no information. I'm letting them go." The Invisible Man announced. "Why?" Fiona Widdershins asked "Just let them go." The Invisible Man ordered. Fiona Widdershins reluctantly complied- but left Lemony Snicket and Sunny Baudelaire out in the desert. JULY 1. "Operative Kynes, we have confirmation on Operative Snicket and Sunny Baudelaire." A man radioed. "Bring them in." Kynes ordered. In his office, Kynes looked out the window. "Widdershins, you're a clever girl…" The operative muttered.


End file.
